Aligning device for printing plates



Dec. 31, 1935. c. T, COMSTOCK ALIGNING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PLATES Filed March 8, 1934' lNl/ENTOR CHARLES THOMAS COMSTUCK ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention consists of a device for aligning printing blocks or plates, in a chase or series of chases, and is particularly adapted for printing inserts of various colored matter where the type for instance is black and the insert is to be of some different color, such as red, blue, etc.

The invention consists essentially in employing a series of chases and the exact aligning of the first color insert is done in the first chase and then the alignment ascertained from the first color plate is transferred to an adjoining chase or one or more of the series of chases. The invention also includes improved means for marking the space or spaces to be aligned. Said means consisting of a fine rigid wire held under tension by a coil spring at one end thereof. The invention also includes means for accurately fitting and holding the aligning frame against the sides of the chase.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a printers table, with two chases and my improved device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a. device for securing the aligning means.

Figure 3 is a gop View of the device shown in Figure 2.

The numeral 4 represents a printers table of any desired length and is at least twice and may be more than twice the length of the ordinary table. 5 represents the usual chase, which is held in position on the table by being laid closely against pins 6 placed at predetermined positions so that the various chases will be in perfect alignment with each other. So represents an adjoining chase of the same size as chase 5, which is placed on the table in the same manner. At the rear of the table is secured a rod or bar I permanently fastened in brackets 8 mounted at each end of the table. Slidably mounted on the bar 1 is a rectangular imposing frame 9 having measuring indicia 10 on each of the four sides thereof, showing a scale by inches and fractions thereof. On each side of the rectangular frame 9 is an extension II having a rod or bar l2. slidingly mounted on each one of the bars I2 is a member l3 having a hook or similar device for engaging an aligning wire I4, secured at l5 by a coil spring I 6 to the member l3. There may be a coil spring at the end of each one of the members l3 on to which the wire is hooked, or one end of the wire may be soldered or otherwise rigidly fastened into the member I 3 and a coil spring on the other end of the wire. To the sides of the frame 9 are secured lugs I! for accurately spacing the frame 9 from the chase 5.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to print a form or plate in red, for instance, the plates l8 which are to be printed in red are aligned in the first chase in the position indicated and their position exactly fixed by the wires i4. While only four wires are 6 shown, it is understood that any desired number of aligning wires may be used. After the aligning. wires 14 are set and adjusted the frame 9 is raised and slid along the bar 1 until it comes over the adjoining chase 5a. The adjustment 10 having been made for red, in the first chase, it is of course, a simple matter to have the black portion [9 in the form shown in the second chase 5a come in exact alignment with that portion of the form or plate which has been aligned as red 15 in the first chase.

I claim:

1. An aligning device for printing forms confprising a printers table adapted to support a series of chases mounted at predetermined positions thereon, an imposing frame swingingly and slidingly mounted at the rear of the table having means for ascertaining the position for printing forms in a chase and indicating the ascertained position in an adjoining chase and means carried by the frame to space the frame from the chase.

2. An aligning device for printing forms comprising a printers table adapted to support a series of paralleled chases mounted at predetermined positions thereon, an imposing frame 80 swingingly and slidingly mounted at the rear of the chases, and means on said frame for accurately fitting and holding the aligning .frame against the sides of .a chase.

3. An aligning device for printing'fo-rms comprising a printers table adapted to support a series of chases mounted in a row at predetermined points, an imposing frame swingingly and slidingly mounted at the rear of the table, means on the side of said frame for accurately spacing 40 the frame from the first chase and to hold said frame in the desired position relative to the adjoining chase.

4. An aligning device for printing forms comprising a printers table adapted to support, a. series of chases mounted in a row at predetermined points, an imposing frame swingingly and slidingly mounted at the rear of the table, means on the side of said frame for accurately spacing the frame from the first chase and to hold said frame in the desired positionrelative to the adjoining chase, an aligning device mounted on each of the bars of said frame whereby the required position ascertained by the aligning means relative to the first chase will be transferred to the adjoining chase.

CHARLES THOMAS COMSTOCK. 

